Encore
by khughes830
Summary: Part three of the Love Walks In trilogy. An encore performance, of sorts. Too much of a summary would give it away. You need to read Love Walks In and When The Walls Came Tumbling Down in order for this to make any sense!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Once again, not mine, not mine at all, for if I were McTavish and TPTB, Ryan Lavery would take another header over the cliff or get his arse blown to bits in the big boom, but alas, it is not meant to be!  
**Characters: **Zach, Kendall, and a smattering of others  
**A/N: **Third part of the Love Walks In trilogy. You really need to read those or this will make no sense, especially the characters that I made up! Enjoy! Takes place 18 months after _When The Walls Came Tumbling Down._

* * *

It was an unusually warm November afternoon and since those were rare in Pennsylvania this time of the year, Beverly decided to take advantage of it. She packed up Will and Caroline after lunch and headed out to the park. Will made an immediate beeline for the sandbox, which he did every time they came to the park. Beverly just laughed and spread out a blanket for her and Caroline to sit on while Will built his latest sand castle. 

He watches the scene play out from across the park, with a wicked smile on his face. He pulled the small picture out of his pocket, looked at it, looked at the boy in the sand box, and then back at the picture. He nodded his head as he slipped the picture back in his pocket. He had been watching them for some time, so he knew he had to wait for his moment. Just then, Will tossed his small shovel over his shoulder and it bounced out of the sandbox. He took that as his sign and started toward the boy.

"I think you lost something" Will heard from behind him. He looked over at the man kneeling next to the sandbox, holding his shovel out to him.

Will nodded at the man and took the shovel. "Thanks" he said, going back to concentrating on the castle he was building.

"That's a good sand castle you've got there. You do this often."

Will bit his lip, concentrating on the structure. "I like it a lot. I'm good, but my dad… he isn't good at helping me at all, so I don't let him."

Will looked over at the man as he laughed. "Is your dad here?"

"No, he's at the seeno" Will said, matter of factly.

The man chuckled. "The seeno?"

"Yeah, the seeno, on the beach. My mommy and daddy own it."

"Oh, the casino. OK, got it." The man laughed as Will gave him a look that could only be interpreted as a 'duh' look. "So, what's your name?"

Will poured a bucket of sand onto of the ever growing mound. "William Alexander Slater, but most people call me Will." He missed the quick look of anger that flashed across this strangers' face. Will glanced over at him. "What's your name?"

"Me… oh, you can… I'm Mike."

"WILL!" They both turned to see Beverly walking toward them quickly, Caroline on her hip. She glanced at the man talking to Will before bending down. "Hello" he said to her, but she just glared and leaned down, tapping Will on the shoulder.

"What are you doing talking to him?" she said.

Will scrunched his face up and looked at her. "What?"

"Excuse me, miss?" The man was tapping her on the shoulder. She stood up and turned toward him. "I'm sorry. He dropped his shovel and I handed it back to him and complimented him on the castle. I didn't mean to get your son…"

"That's not my mom!" Will yelled as he carved a moat out of the sand.

Beverly glared down at Will and then turned back toward this man. "He's right. I'm just their nanny. They are Will and Caroline Slater, kids of Zach and Kendall Slater."

The man laughed and whistled. "Working for the Slaters. Nice work if you can get it."

Beverly laughed and smiled, starting to relax. "Yeah, it's not too bad, not too bad at all."

The man stuck out his hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

Beverly placed her right hand in his and shook. "I'm Beverly." He smiled warmly at her and squeezed her hand lightly before dropping it. "Beverly, I'm Mike. It's really nice to meet you."

"You too" she said sweetly, leaning into him. They talked while Will finished his sand castle and applauded at the effort her put into it. Caroline started to fall asleep on her shoulder, so Mike volunteered to help Beverly back to her car with the kids. They continued to talk and Mike asked if he could see her again.

"I would love to. It's been nice talking to you."

"You too, Beverly. It's been awhile since I've been in town, so it is nice to meet up with someone right away." She smiled at him warmly and felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and looked at the ID.

"I have to go, Mike. The boss calls, looks like mom got home earlier than expected." Mike nodded and walked her around the car, holding the door open for her.

"I'll talk to you later, Beverly. Bye Will!"

"BYE MIKE!" Will yelled at him, waving. Mike stood there and watched them drive away, smirking the entire time.

* * *

Kendall immediately noticed the bright smile on Beverly's face as they walked through the door. They walked up to put Caroline down for her nap. Kendall shut the door and smirked at Beverly. 

"So?"

Beverly stopped on the steps and looked back up at Kendall. "So, what?"

"So, what's with the smile and the extra bounce in your step?"

"Beverly and Mike smiled at each other a lot this afternoon" Will yelled as he zoomed past them and down the steps with his Lego set. Kendall walked down the steps and threw her arm over Beverly's shoulders. "Mike?" she asked, cocking her eyebrows at the younger woman.

"Oh, stop" Beverly said as she blushed. "He's just someone we met at the park today."

"He liked my sandcastle" Will screeched from the living room. Kendall looked at her son, then back at Beverly, who was blushing furiously now.

"Well, then, I'm sold" Kendall said, laughing. "So, do we have a date?"

"Not yet, but he said he wanted to see me again, so I gave him my number, so we'll see."

"I'll keep my fingers crossed for you" Kendall said.

"What are we crossing our fingers for?" They turned to see Zach leaning against the wall.

"That the fabulous man Beverly met at the park, who appreciates your son's sand castles, by the way, will call her for a date" she said, walking over to him and kissing him on the cheek.

"OK, so… before there is any further humiliation at my expense, I'm going to go" Beverly said, grabbing her bag and walking out the door. Zach and Kendall both waved as Beverly pulled out of the driveway, smiling widely the whole time.

* * *

Zach closed their bedroom door behind him and walked into the bathroom, leaning against the door as Kendall brushed her hair out. Kendall let her eyes roam his body as he stood there in nothing but a pair of boxer and he did the same, taking notice that she was wearing his favorite teddy. 

"So, our little Beverly met a boy?"

Kendall giggled. "It's about time. I mean, she's been in town for two years and hasn't even talked about a guy, much less a date!"

"Well, darling, between school and our two little gems, she is a touch on the busy side" he said, sliding up behind her and wrapping arms around her waist, placing light kisses on her neck. Kendall dropped her brush and leaned back against Zach, closing her eyes and rolling her head, giving him better access.

Zach quickly turned her around, pinning her between the vanity and him, kissing his way up and down her neck. "You know, I had a wickedly sexy day dream about you today while I was bored in my finance meeting" he whispered, sucking her earlobe into his mouth.

"Oh God…" she moaned, grabbing his face and pulling him up to her lips. He massaged her tongue with his and she tightened her grip on him. He quickly pulled her off the ground and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He maneuvered them over to the bed and laid her out on it. She closed her eyes and whimpered as he kissed his way up her legs, slowly removing her nightgown. She sat up and pulled it over her head as he divested himself of his boxers. She slid up the bed as he crawled after her. He pressed himself against her and she yelped his name, making him smile. After all this time, she still had an all-consuming desire for him, just as he had for her, and he loved that. He loved that he could turn her on with a look or a suggestive kiss and that she could do the same by just walking across the room. He knew that there would always been a need for her and he found that sexiest of all.

He placed hot, open-mouthed kisses down her neck and across her chest as she writhed around underneath him, running her hands up and down his back. As he pulled her nipple into his mouth, she screamed his name and arched her back off the bed. He continued his ministrations until she was panting and moaning in desire. Before she could recover, he quickly entered her, reveling in the feeling of her all around him. They moved in tandem, bringing each other to brink several times before it became too much. He quickly rolled them over and pulled Kendall's hips down onto his, bringing her to her finish. He quickly followed as she rotated her hips and purred his name over and over again. She collapsed on top of him, breathing hard and giggling, like she did every time they made love. He whispered thoughts of love and lifetime in her ear as she cuddled against him.

* * *

Across town, Beverly was laying on the couch at the Fargate House, reading over her psychology notes when Myrtle entered, cordless phone in hand. 

"My dear, there is a lovely sounding young man on the line for you." Beverly shot up and grabbed the phone. Myrtle smiled and retreated, giving Beverly some privacy.

"Hello?"

"Beverly? This is Mike, from the park this afternoon."

"Mike? Wow, I didn't expect…"

"Yeah, me neither, but… I found I had this overwhelming need to call you. I fought it off as long as I could, but the feeling soon got the better of me. I was wondering if I could take you out for dinner the day after tomorrow."

"Saturday night? Saturday night is good. That would be great" she said as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"Great. I'll see you then." Mike snapped his phone shut and took a swig of his whiskey, as he looked out the window at Pine Valley. He just shook his head, smiling wickedly, before returning to his paperwork.

TBC….


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimers: **see chapter 1  
**A/N: _because no one is ever REALLY dead on a soap opera! Enjoy! And yeah, I went a little old school, but hey, that story line was one of my all time favorites!_**

* * *

"Simone, hurry up! The investors are waiting for us downstairs!" Kendall and Simone were running around, gathering last minute data for their meeting that was to have started 15 minutes ago. Babe was all ready in the conference room, holding down the fort until Kendall and Simone arrived.

Simone pulled the last of the papers out of the printer and shoved them in a folder. "Alright, let's go!" Kendall was already holding the elevator doors open, so Simone ran across the room and they discussed the meeting as the doors closed. Just then, the door to the stairs opened. He walked out, smirking at the elevator. He looked around the Fusion offices, flipping open files and glancing quickly at the new samples sitting in a box. He sat down in Kendall's chair and ran his hands along the desk. He scooted the pile of papers to the side and pulled a small box out of his jacket pocket. He flipped open the top and looked at it quickly before placing it in the center of the desk. He looked around one more time before heading back to the stairwell.

An hour later, Kendall, Babe, and Simone returned, smiling and laughing at how well the meeting had gone.

"Kendall, there's something on your desk" Babe said as she pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge. Simone looked over at the small velvet box.

"I swear, Kendall, if Zach sent you another piece of fabulous jewelry to torment us with, well… I may just have to kill you and marry him myself." Kendall looked up from her report and smiled at Simone, who was staring at the box. "Well, go ahead, since I know you are dying to." Simone giggled and grabbed the box and flipped it open. She scowled at the box.

"What is it?" Kendall asked, looking up from her report. Simone just shook her head and turned the box toward Babe and Kendall, showing them the 'SG' charm that rested inside.

"What's SG?" Babe asked Kendall. Kendall sighed and took the box from Simone. "Is there a jeweler's name on it? It looks like it got delivered to the wrong place." They all stared at the box, but the only thing it contained was the charm. Kendall opened her desk drawer and dropped it in. "Remind me to ask the security guards later who delivered and I'll call them." Simone and Babe both nodded and they all returned to their work.

* * *

Zach entered his office and dropped his files in the middle of his desk, sending a small box flying across the room. He grabbed it and looked at it. "Edie" he yelled. She appeared in the doorway immediately and he turned to look at her. "What's this?"

Edie just shook her head. "I don't know. I ran to the concierge for about 15 minutes to take care of a problem with a high rollers' room, but other than that, I've been here." Zach opened the box and pulled out an antique looking stamp. He pulled a blank piece of paper off his desk and pressed the stamp down, revealing a crest. "What is it?" Edie asked, peering over his shoulder.

Zach narrowed his eyes, remembering where he had seen that before. He balled up the paper and threw it, along with the stamp, in the trash. "It seems to be someone's idea of a twisted joke that's not very funny." Zach walked around his desk and pulled open the cabinets, revealing the surveillance equipment.

"When were you gone?" he asked Edie over his shoulder.

"About a half hour ago, for about 15 minutes." Zach cued up the tape and they watched Edie walk past his office door. A few minutes later, a man with a ball cap pulled down over his eyes entered his office and exited a minute later.

"You didn't see him?" he asked, pointing at the screen.

"No. I was the only one up here when I left and the only one here when I got back, till you just came back. Who was that?"

"Probably just some prankster, some idiot frat guy staying here for the weekend or something. Don't worry about it." Edie just shrugged her shoulder and left his office. He glanced down at the trash can one more time, trying to ignore the tiny feeling of dread he had in the pit of his stomach.

* * *

Beverly ran her hands over her skirt and took a deep breath before answering the door. Mike looked devishly handsome in his navy suit with no tie.

"Hi" she said breathlessly as he handed her a red rose.

"You look beautiful" he said, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. "You ready to go?"

Beverly turned to grab her purse. "Yeah, but Myrtle wanted to meet you before we left." She missed the flash of panic that crossed his face because he had regained his composure by the time she turned back around. "I can meet her some other time. We'll miss our reservations if we don't leave now." Beverly just smiled and yelled by over her shoulder. Mike shut the door quickly as he saw Myrtle rounding the corner.

"So, where are we going" she asked as they pulled away from the curb.

"I thought we could eat at the casino. I've heard great things about the chef they have out there."

Beverly just smiled. "Well… ok. Maybe I could introduce you to the Slaters. The casino is hosting a kids' night on the veranda. It's something Zach has been really into since Will was old enough to hold a deck of cards."

Mike just smiled as he downshifted. "Yeah, maybe we'll run into them."

* * *

Kendall hummed along with the music in the elevator as she traveled back down to the casino floor. She had put Caroline down for the night and left her with one of the casino's sitters. Will was currently holding court at the mini blackjack table, keeping the kids of Pine Valley thoroughly entertained.

The elevator doors opened as Beverly walked by. "Beverly!" Kendall called out. Beverly turned and waved at Kendall. Kendall caught up and fell instep with her. "What are you doing here? I thought you had a hot date tonight."

"Oh, I do. We are just waiting on our table and having some drinks in the bar." Kendall smirked at her. "So, we may get to meet this mysterious Mike who my son has been going on and on about."

Beverly just shrugged. "Maybe" she said, shyly.

"Maybe what?" Zach asked as he walked up behind them, wrapping his arms around Kendall's waist.

"Seems Beverly and her mystery man decided to have dinner out here tonight."

"Well, tell your man to order whatever you two want, even if it's not on the menu. I'll let the kitchen know it's alright."

Beverly just grinned at her employers. "Thanks, Zach." They stopped at the doors leading out to the veranda and all started to laugh. Will was standing on a chair, berating one of the dealers on the art of blackjack.

"That's my boy" Zach said, just shaking his head. "We better get back out there before Evan decides to quit." Beverly nodded as Kendall and Zach headed back out to the tables.

Suddenly, Beverly felt an arm around her waist. "I was wondering where you had disappeared to" Mike whispered in her ear, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

She turned and smiled at him. "Hold on…" She turned and yelled for Zach and Kendall. They turned and headed back toward her, seeming to slow up as they approached Beverly and Mike.

"Kendall, Zach, I want you to meet Mike." She turned back to Mike and laid her hand on his chest. "Mike, these are my bosses, Zach and Kendall…" As she turned back to them, she saw the look of shock and horror on both their faces. She looked up at Mike, who was just smiling at the Slaters, tightening his grip on her waist. She looked back at Kendall, who was gripping Zach's arm tightly. "What is…"

Zach looked at Beverly and held out his hand. "Beverly, you need to come over here now. Just walked over here."

Beverly laughed nervously. "Zach, what are you talking about? I just wanted to introduce you to…"

"Beverly, get over here now!" Kendall yelled. Beverly just looked at Mike and shrugged. She broke out of his embrace and started to walk toward Kendall. Zach grabbed her as soon as she got in reach and whirled her behind him.

"Kendall, are you alright? You look really, really pale" Beverly asked, gripping Kendall's arms, but she just continued to stare at Mike, as did Zach.

"OK, someone needs to tell me what is going on right now" Beverly stated, trying to walk around Zach. He grabbed with his arm and pushed her back.

"Oh, c'mon now. There's no need to get rough with the ladies, there Zachary" Mike said in a condescending tone, spitting out Zach's name.

"Oh my god…" Kendall breathed out, knees going weak. Zach turned and grabbed her, pulling her into his body.

"And it's great to see you again Mrs. Cambias…" Mike smirked and slapped his forehead in a sarcastic manner "… I'm sorry, I meant Mrs. Slater. Did you like my gift?"

Kendall just shook her head. "What… oh my god… swamp girl" she choked out, closing her eyes and leaning her head against Zach.

Mike turned his attention back to Zach. "What, I don't even get a 'hey brother, how you doin'?'"

"Brother?" Beverly said, trying to process all this information. Zach didn't hear Beverly, focusing all his attention on the man standing in front of him. Zach glanced over at the security guards around the room and soon, four men stood behind Mike.

"Michael" was all Zach was able to say before he waved for the guards to grab him. Michael just held out his arms, smirking at Zach the whole time.

"We've got a lot to talk about ALEX" Michael yelled over his shoulder as the guards walked him inside.

"Take him to my office and if he tries to move, break his neck" Zach demanded, turning to focus on Kendall and Beverly.

"It's not possible" she whispered to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, trying to process all this new information. "I know" he whispered back, pulling away from her to focus on Beverly.

"Beverly, you need to come with us." Zach put his hand on her shoulder and led the two women inside.

TBC….


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimers: **see chapter 1  
**A/N: **Michael Cambias is a bad, bad man... OK, so I may have taken a few liberties with some of the details since I've been struggling to remember EXACTLY how it all went down, but hey, that's was ff is for, right! I had so much fun writing Michael in this chapter - I SOOOO loved to hate him before they went off the deep end with the rape storyline! Enjoy!

* * *

"Kendall, you don't have to do this. I can talk to him by myself if you want." Kendall smiled at him and squeezed his hand. She needed to know and she needed to know now. She didn't want Zach's candy coated version. After they explained to Beverly who exactly Mike was, she lost it. They called Myrtle and told her that Beverly was heading home and that they would explain later, but to just put her to bed and to not ask any questions. Kendall pulled Will away from the tables and Zach put a guard on the door, telling the sitter not to open the door for anyone except for this guard and the two of them.

They both took a deep breath and Zach opened the door to his office. They found Michael leaning against his desk, staring at a picture frame. Zach crossed the room and yanked it from his hand. Michael just smirked.

"Now, now Alex… sorry, it's hard to remember to call you Zach… I was just admiring my niece and nephew. They sure do have those good Cambias genes." He laughed as Kendall and Zach glared at him as he talked about their children. Michael leaned back and crossed his arms across his chest. "Speaking of good Cambias genes, got a picture of my daughter lying around?"

Zach grabbed him around the throat, pulling him up off the desk. "Listen to me and listen to me good, Michael. You aren't to come near my children nor are you to even attempt to get in contact with Bianca and Miranda or I swear to God, I'll…"

Michael laughed and shoved Zach. "Or you'll what, brother? Kill me? Yeah, little Binksy tried that, but I'm still standing." Kendall wanted to do nothing more than rip the smirk right off his face as he sat down on the couch, crossing his right leg over his left knee and smiling as he stretched his arm across the back of the couch. Zach took a deep breath and pulled his chair around his desk, rolling it to sit in front of Michael, across the coffee table.

"Fine, Michael, fine. You've come here for a reason, so just spit it out." Michael just cocked his head, quickly looking Kendall up and down before returning his eyes to his brother.

"Fine, I'll start. How is this even possible?"

Michael just laughed. "Oh, come on now Alex, you aren't the only one who has the means and the ability to fax a death."

"But I saw you… on the floor… lying there" Kendall said from across the room, unable to take her eyes off of the man who should be nothing more than an apparition.

"Oh please, Kendall. This whole town, all of you… so damn cocky. Thinking that I would just roll over and die." He just laughed. "Yeah, sorry for the pun. Anyway, I took precautions. I knew it was just a matter of time before someone in this little stinking town came after me."

"But, how…" Kendall was stunned.

"Three little words, gorgeous." Zach seethed as Michael talked to Kendall. "Bullet proof vest. I wore one all the time after the judge dropped the charges. Good thing Binks is a bad shot. She nailed me right in the middle of the vest, no harm, no foul except for a nasty bruise. And then you and Reggie… fools didn't even check for a pulse. I just laid there, eyes closed, still as could be. Once you two ditched me, I took my chance and made my exit."

"So, who was…"

"Hanging on that hook? Yeah, that was pretty gruesome, even for you Kendall. Well, you wouldn't believe the number of crooked undertakers there are around these parts. Flash enough money and you can get them to do just about anything. That guy you found – some poor homeless schlep that no one had claimed. Plopped a few thou down and… viola, instant stand-in Michael." He just laughed as Kendall slid down the wall, head in her hands.

"So that wasn't you when we came back later that week to…"

"Sorry, sweetheart, you strung up some poor homeless man."

Zach could only stare at the man in front of him, not seeing any of the younger brother he had left behind all those years ago. "So why now?"

Michael lifted his gaze off of Kendall and turned his attention back to his brother. "Why now what?"

"Why come back now? Why come back at all? Everyone assumes you are dead; no one would have ever bothered looking for you. You could have lived out the rest of your days anywhere else. So, why now?" Michael narrowed his eyes at Zach and reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a piece of paper and handed it to Zach.

Zach unfolded it and found himself staring at Caroline's birth announcement. He felt Kendall's hand on his shoulder and he looked up at her as she scanned the paper in his hand. They looked at Michael. He leaned his head against his hand.

"So, I was sitting in Geneva one afternoon, scanning the internet for… well, that's for me to know and you to find out… when I came across this nice little announcement posted on the corner of casino's webpage. So, I started to do a little digging. You two have been busy little beavers, haven't you… I mean, Kendall single handedly drove off Greenlee and you offed Lavery without any consequences and well… I felt a little proud, so I thought a visit was in order."

Zach just shook his head. "But, why…"

Michael glared at his brother, uncrossing his legs and leaning forward on his knees. "Because, you, big brother, lost sight of why you came to town. You were supposed to avenge my death, get even with this sorry ass town for what they did to me. But, of course, you screwed that up. You got sucked in – first by Miranda, then Bianca, then by our very own swamp girl. And since you aren't going to get even with them for what they did to me, I decided to come back and do the job myself."

"Oh God…" Kendall cried, walking across the room with her head in her hands. Zach shot out of his chair and wrapped his arms around her, trying to calm her down. Michael scoffed at them. "Well, aren't you two just the picture perfect couple. You got whipped by the Kane's there brother. Father always thought you were the stronger of his sons, but I guess he was wrong."

Michael pushed himself off the couch. He shoved his hands in his pocket, smiling at Zach and Kendall. "Well, I guess my work for the evening is done, so if you could just point me in the direction of my date…"

"YOU LEAVE HER ALONE" Kendall screamed at him. Zach grabbed her around the waist, pulling her against his body to keep her from going after Michael. Michael just shrugged.

"Some other time, perhaps. Well, you two have a great evening." Zach could only watch as Michael yanked open the door and headed toward the elevators. Zach just shook his head at the guards as they looked at him. Kendall wrapped her arms around Zach's waist, burying her head in his chest. He yanked his cell phone out of his pocket and scrolled through till he found the number he needed.

"Yeah, Lou, it's Slater. I need you to put a tail on the guy that's coming down from my office right now… No, I just need to know his comings and goings. Also, I need a car sent over to the Fargate house. You need to get Myrtle and Beverly out of there…. Put them in one of the bungalows under my name…. I don't know, I'll tell you tomorrow. Thanks." He snapped the phone shut and dropped the phone back in his pocket, wrapping his arm back around his wife.

"What are we going to do?" she asked, looking up at him with fear in her eyes.

"I don't know, Kendall, I just don't know" he responded, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

TBC….


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimers: **see chapter 1  
**A/N: **It pains me A LOT to use Ethan - I swear, if could shove him and Ryan through a hole in the ice, I would do it in a heartbeat, but I needed to use him for the sake of the story, but Zach does get to lay into him a little bit, which was nice to write. Also, am I a little twisted if I admit to LOVING writing Michael! I really miss that wicked SOB!

* * *

It had been a week – the longest week either one of them had experienced in the longest time. It had been seven days since Michael had walked out of Zach's office. He managed to ditch Zach's PI the next day and no one had seen or heard from him since. Myrtle and Beverly had gone back to the Fargate House after two days, since Michael seemed to have fallen back into whatever hole he had crawled out of.

Zach was reviewing the overnight financial reports when Edie stuck her head in the door. "Zach, you have an unscheduled visitor." His head shot up and his eyes got wide, but Edie shook her head. "No, it is Ethan Ramsey." Zach just shrugged his shoulders and waved at Edie to show him in. Zach put the file in his desk drawer as Ethan walked in.

"Thanks for seeing me" Ethan said, sitting down in one of Zach's chairs.

"No problem. What's going on?"

"Well, I got wind of something this morning and I wasn't real sure where else to go. Well, the CFO came to me this morning. It seems there has been an exorbitant amount of shares being bought and sold in the last couple of weeks. Anyway, my man did a little more digging and found out that one man has been buying the Cambias shares away from the other shareholders and…"

"What's this man's name?" Zach growled out, knowing he wasn't going to like the answer.

"Well, the name we found was Mike Alexander, but we think…"

"SON OF A BITCH" Zach screamed, pounding his hands down on the desk. Ethan leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "Care to share?"

Zach closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head. "I'm going to kill him myself this time" Zach said quietly.

"What was that? Zach, you really need to tell me…"

Zach's eyes shot open and he stared at Ethan. "It's your formerly departed uncle, Ethan. It's Michael."

Ethan's eyes got wide and he shook his head slowly. "Michael who?"

Zach lowered his head into his hands. "Cambias. He's back."

"How in the hell is that even possible?" Zach launched into the story, flooring Ethan at every turn. "But, why is he even bothering with Cambias?"

"I don't know Ethan. I would say he's trying to suck me back in, trying to get me to bit at his bait, seeing what I do."

"So, what do we do?"

"What do you do about what?" Kendall asked from the door, smiling. "Can't say this is a meeting I ever expected you to be taking" she said, walking over and giving Zach a kiss on the cheek.

"Where are the kids?" Zach asked, grabbing onto her hand.

"Beverly took them over to the studios to watch mother film today. She's doing a kids' show and…" She stopped as Zach pulled the phone out of the cradle and dialed.

"Lou, have the guards on my kids… ok, make sure they stay put until Kendall and I get over there. Yeah, you could say there's been a development." He slammed the phone down and ran his hand through his hair. He turned to his wife, who was staring at him with wide and scared eyes.

"It's Michael, isn't it" she said in a whisper. Zach just nodded. She turned to Ethan. "Something to do with Cambias?"

"He's buying up all the Cambias shares. Give him a couple more days and he'll be the majority shareholder."

Kendall just nodded and turned back toward Zach. "Well, then… there it is."

"So, where either one of you going to tell me that Michael was alive?" Ethan demanded.

"It isn't like we were planning on keeping it a secret" Zach said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "My security lost him. I was trying to figure out what he was up to…"

"Well, now we know" Kendall said, as she collapsed on the couch. Zach walked over to her, pulling her into his body, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. He placed a kiss on her cheek. "We need to go get the kids and go home. You need to call Bianca and we need to tell Erica and Jackson sooner rather than later." Kendall nodded slowly, hating that she had to do this to her sister.

"And what about my Cambias stock?" Ethan said from across the room. Zach walked back over to his desk and pulled out a card from the top drawer. "Give this to your CFO and tell him to call this guy. He can find out what Michael is up to, now that we know what he's focusing on." Ethan grabbed the card from Zach and looked at it. "Well, I'm not sure that…"

Zach sighed loudly, growing impatient with the man standing in front of him. "Look, Ethan, do whatever you want. I don't have time to worry about my family AND help you save your ass. You want to try to fix this, have your CFO call that man. If you don't, well then, have fun working for your uncle." Zach glared at Ethan as he looked at the card again and nodded. He turned away silent, heading out of the room, nodding at Kendall as he did.

* * *

Zach held Kendall's hand as she explained to Bianca exactly what was going on. Zach had to take the phone a couple of times as Kendall became to upset to talk. Zach promised her security and protection until they dealt with Michael. Zach had sent some of his men to Paris as soon as Ethan had left his office that afternoon. Kendall finished combing her hair when they heard the doorbell.

"Erica and Jackson are here" he whispered into her ear, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"This is going to be hard" she said, tears forming in her eyes.

"Yeah, but we'll get through it and we'll all deal with it. I promise you that." Kendall nodded and took a deep breath. Zach laced his fingers through hers and they headed downstairs.

* * *

Kendall opened the door and tried her best to smile normally at her mother and Jackson. Erica gave Kendall a hug. "Dear, are you alright?" she asked, looking at her daughter. Kendall nodded. "Yeah, mother, I'm fine. Just c'mon in." Jackson and Erica walked past Kendall and Zach. They smiled at each other. Zach dropped her hand and walked into the kitchen as Kendall pushed the door shut, failing to notice that it didn't latch completely.

"Does anyone need anything else?" Zach asked, sitting down in his chair. Erica and Jackson shook their heads, but then Erica noticed she needed to refill her water glass. "I just need more water" she said, pushing herself out of her chair.

"Mother, here, I'll get it" Kendall said, reaching out her hand.

"Nonsense. I'll get it" Erica said, smiling as she walked over to the refrigerator. Her glass was half full when she heard a strange voice from behind her.

"Got room for one more?" Erica glanced over her shoulder and saw the look of horror on the faces of her family. She slowly turned the other direction and stopped. Her glass shattered on the tile floor as she came face to face with a smirking Michael Cambias, leaning against the wall in Zach and Kendall's kitchen.

TBC….


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **see chapter 1

* * *

They were all frozen, unable to move. Erica stared at Michael through her hands which were covering her face. Michael took a step toward her, holding out his hand. "Now, Erica is that any way to say…"

Zach shot out of his chair and quickly stepped between Erica and Michael. They stared at each other for a moment before Zach grabbed his arm, pulling him roughly through the house, away from his family.

"Kendall…" Jackson whispered across the table. She looked up at him, stunned and pale, unable to comprehend what just happened. They looked over at Erica, who still had her face covered with her hands, shaking. Kendall took a deep breath and pushed herself away from the table. "Mother" she said gently, grabbing Erica's arms, pulling her hands away from her face. Erica seemed to be staring straight through her, just shaking her head, whispering "it's not possible" over and over again.

"Mother, please" Kendall choked out, tears forming in her eyes. Erica seemed to snap out of it in that moment. She grabbed Kendall and pulled her in for a fierce hug. "Kendall, what is going on? How is it possible that… that man is…" Kendall pulled back and smiled sadly at her mother.

"That's why we insisted you two come over for dinner tonight. We wanted to tell you before… well, before something like that happened. Let's sit back down and I'll tell you two everything."

Kendall led Erica back to the table. As she sat down, Erica whispered Bianca's name. "Mother, I called her before you two got here. Just let me explain what's going on and then we'll call her back, alright?" Erica looked at her eldest daughter, struggling to keep it together. She nodded and Kendall collapsed back into her chair, taking a deep breath before launching into the story.

* * *

Zach shoved Michael out the door, causing him to lose his footing and fall down on the porch. Michael glared at his brother before pushing himself off the ground, dusting himself off. Zach pulled the door closed behind him and leaned against it, providing a barrier between Kendall and his brother.

"What the hell do you think you are doing here?" Zach demanded.

Michael just shrugged, leaning back against the porch rail. "What? I heard there was a dinner party and I just thought…"

"Cut the BS, Michael. You just had to rattle Erica's cage, didn't you. You just couldn't leave well enough alone, could you?"

"Oh, spare me brother. All of a sudden you and Erica are best friends, looking out for each other."

"Not even close, Michael, but she is my mother-in-law, she is family and Kendall loves her very much, which means that…"

Michael groaned, rolling his eyes at Zach. "Blah, blah, blah… I'm the hero… blah, blah… for the love of family… blah, blah, blah" he said, waving his hands around, pacing back and forth in front of Zach. "Spare me the holier than thou crap, brother. I'm the one who invented it, remember?"

"What are you doing here, Michael?"

Michael just smirked at Zach, shrugging his shoulders. "Well, I thought I would eat a little chicken, drink a little wine, partake in some stimulating conversation…" Michael just shook his head at his brother, who was glaring at him. "Good lord, Alex, our little swamp girl sure has sucked the fun right out of you."

"Just tell me what the hell you want, Michael" Zach roared, pushing himself away from the door, standing toe to toe with his younger brother.

"You mean you don't know?"

"Jesus, Michael, if I knew, I swear, I wouldn't be asking, so just spit it out!"

"Fine" he said, resuming his original position against the rail "I want things the way they should be."

Zach just shook his head. "I have no idea what that means."

"Oh, c'mon Alex, I can be quite predictable at times."

Zach closed his eyes and sighed. "You want Cambias back" he said in a resigned manner. Zach opened his eyes to see Michael smiling at him, nodding.

"Yes. I want Cambias back in the family. One of us should be running it, Alex, not some sorry ass half-breed. And since I'm assuming you still aren't interested, then I guess the power… I'm sorry, I mean the responsibility… falls to me."

Zach leaned back against the door, letting out the breath he didn't know he had been holding. "Fine. Fine, I'll talk to Ethan first thing in the morning and get something worked out if you just stay the hell away from my family."

"But, Alex, it's my family too!" Michael said sarcastically. "And speaking of family, I want to see Miranda."

Zach immediately stiffened, thinking back to Bianca on the phone a few hours ago, scared for her daughter. "No way in hell, Michael. It's not going to happen. I will do what you want, I'll get you Cambias back, but you can't go near any member of this family, including Bianca and Miranda. That's the deal."

Michael shrugged. "Fine, for now. Just talk to that British wannabe and get it done." He dropped a business card in front of Zach's feet and turned on his heel. Zach watched Michael walk down the steps and drive away. Zach finally moved when he heard Michael make the turn away from the house. He picked up the card and slipped it into his pocket. He then slid back in the door and rested his forehead against the wood.

"Zach?" He turned to find Kendall staring at him, fear in her eyes. "He's gone, for now" he whispered, holding his arms out to her. She ran over to him and launched herself into his arms, holding on to him tightly.

"What does he want?" she whispered in his ear.

"Cambias" he replied, kissing her lightly on the cheek. "I need to talk to Ethan."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm not sure yet – that's why I need to talk to Ethan. Is Erica alright?"

Kendall pulled back and nodded. "She's talking to Bianca right now. That seems to have calmed her down a bit."

Zach nodded and kissed her lightly on the lips before threading his fingers through hers, pulling her back into the kitchen.

* * *

It was barely dawn as Zach entered the Cambias offices. Ethan was already waiting on him, reading over a file. Zach sat down across from Ethan, who handed him a copy of what he was reading. As Zach scanned the document, he started to smile. He looked up at Ethan, who was also grinning.

"Seems Michael wasn't as careful as he thought he was."

Zach just nodded. "No, but then anonymity was never Michael's strong suit."

Ethan leaned forward, resting his arms on the desk. "Now what?" Zach looked at the file one more time before closing it. "Well, here's what I'm thinking."

Three hours later, Zach and Ethan set the plan in motion. Zach picked up Ethan's phone, dialing the number that Michael had left for him. He picked up immediately.

"Zach?"

"Yeah, Michael, it's me. It's done. You're back, but only as President. The only way Ethan would let this happen now as if he stayed on as CEO, but he works for you now. He's setting up a press conference for tomorrow, at about 10. Be here by 9 so that you and Ethan can get everything worked out."

Michael didn't respond, he just hung up the phone. Zach smirked at the receiver, hanging it back up. Ethan looked at him. "So, he doesn't know that…"

"The good thing about Michael is that he's got an ego the size of Texas. He thinks he's smarter than everyone and that no one would dare cross him." Ethan just nodded. "OK, then. Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Zach just nodded and headed out, hoping that Michael would keep a low profile until the next day.

* * *

Kendall was walking out of Lacy's after a meeting, talking to Simone on her phone about the latest promotions. She quickly finished the call and dropped her phone into her purse, walking toward her car.

"So, how's your day?" Kendall spun around and saw Michael leaning against a car, smirking at her.

"Zach said you had to stay the hell away from me, from us, if you wanted Cambias back."

"Yeah, my brother, always playing up this anti-hero shtick. He always thought he had a way with the ladies. He's a little sappy, for my taste."

Kendall glared at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yeah, you're more of a force and lies kind of guy, aren't you?"

"Now, now, Kendall. After all we've been through… well, you really should treat family better than that."

"GO TO HELL MICHAEL" she roared.

"Well, not quite yet, but I would imagine eventually… see you soon, Mrs. Cambias" he said, smirking as he pushed himself off the car. She could only stare as he walked away from her, whistling the whole time, walking like he didn't have a care in the world.

TBC….


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **see chapter 1  
**A/N: **Well, all good things must come to an end. Also, a fun and heartfelt goodbye to that lame ass Ethan Ramsey - can't say I'll miss you much, but you sure were good to look at! And just for kicks - ZEX! Thanks for reading!

* * *

Michael threw open the doors to Cambias Industries and smiled, feeling like he had returned home. Zach was waiting on him across the room. Michael shoved his hands in his pockets and strolled across the room, saying hello and winking at all the beautiful women that were going to soon be working for him.

Zach scowled at his brother as he stabbed the elevator button. Michael looked over and smirked at his brother. "Oh, c'mon Alex, it's a good day."

"Would you PLEASE quit calling me that? My name is Zach" he growled as they walked into the elevator. Michael just laughed. "Yeah, whatever big brother."

They exited the elevator and walked into Ethan's office. Michael looked around the room and smiled. "Well, this is a great office, but I'm definitely going to have to redecorate. Oh, and there was a cute blonde working the phones downstairs. I'd say she's due for a promotion, wouldn't you?" he said, jabbing Zach with his elbow. Zach rolled his eyes and walked across the room. Ethan got up from his chair and walked around the desk.

"Welcome Michael" he said, doing his best to plaster a fake smile on his face.

"Nephew" Michael said, sarcastically, holding out his arms. Zach groaned and sat down on the couch, leaning his head back against the couch, closing his eyes. Michael scowled at his brother before returning his attention to Ethan. "Now, I need to see whatever it is you've been working on. Just want to make sure you haven't screwed it up too bad in my absence."

Just then, Ethan's assistant popped her head in the door. "Gentlemen, they are ready."

Michael squared his shoulders. "Well, later then. It's time to make things right." Michael strolled out the door. Zach shook his head while Ethan just smiled. Zach walked over to Ethan's desk and pulled out a file of the top drawer. He looked at it one more time before nodding at Ethan and heading out.

* * *

The only sounds heard in the room were the cameras. Everyone was stunned when Michael Cambias walked into the room. Ethan made his way around Michael and walked up to the podium. Michael quickly followed while Zach stood off to the side.

"Ladies and Gentlemen" Ethan began. "I appreciate you all being here today. I'm sure that you are all shocked to see my uncle, Michael Cambias, standing here next to me, since we all thought that he had died a few years ago. We will get into that later, but for now, I am here to announce that my uncle will be returning to Cambias Industries as the President. Michael…" Ethan stood back and gave Michael room to approach the microphone.

"Yes, I am sure you are all shocked to see me today, but I waited long enough to make my return. While I'm sure that my nephew has been doing an adequate job in my absence, now that I'm back, big changes will be coming to Cambias Industries…"

"Changes that are never going to happen" Zach yelled from the doorway. Michael turned to glare at his brother and saw that he had been joined by a couple of men Michael didn't recognize. He looked to the back of the room as Kendall, Jackson and Erica entered. "What the hell…" he said under his breath.

One of the men handed Zach a file, which he added to his own. Zach nodded at the men and walked up the steps. He pushed Michael out of the way. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am sorry for bringing you here under false pretenses, but it was the only way we could ensure that my formerly departed brother would appear. This isn't a press conference to announce his return as it is to announce his demise once and for all."

The room started to murmur and Zach looked back, smiling at his wife. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" Michael asked harshly, grabbing Zach's arm. "Making things right" he replied, pushing Michael away from him.

"I would like to introduce James Edwards, the Federal Prosecutor for Pennsylvania. We've been working on something over the last couple of days. It would seem that over the last month, Michael has been buying up shares of Cambias Industries, making him the majority shareholder, ensuring his return to power. And while that act in and of itself isn't illegal, the reason for the sell of the stocks was. Michael told those shareholders that if they didn't sell now and to him, there stocks would soon be worthless since he planned to completely dismantle the company once he returned." The cameras started flashing quicker, taking pictures of a stunned Michael. "And since that is tantamount to insider trading, it would seem that Michael broke several federal laws." Zach nodded to James, who nodded to the police around the room. They quickly took Michael into custody.

Michael glared at his brother. "You really think this is going to stop me, Alex? I'll be out before…"

"Oh, no, Mr. Cambias, I think not. There will be no deals for you, just jail time. We've got more than enough evidence and several willing witness who sold their stocks to you under false pretenses, Mr. Alexander" James said disdainfully. The police pushed Michael's shoulders, forcing him to walk. Michael just leered at his brother. "Nicely played, Alex. Well done. Father would be proud" he said as he was escorted out the door. Zach walked off the stage as Ethan continued talking, saying that as long as he was in charge, Cambias would remain intact and no jobs would be lost. Zach stared at his wife, walking back toward her. He pulled her into his arms. "I'm proud of you" she whispered as he descended on her, attaching his lips to hers.

* * *

Michael's trial was a quick one. After hearing two witnesses, his attorney convinced him to take the maximum that the federal prosecutor was offering. A jury would have been much harsher on him, especially once his former misdeeds were introduced into evidence, as he felt they would be. Two weeks after the confrontation at Cambias, Michael was sentenced to 25 years for all counts. When the judge asked if he had anything to say, Michael pushed himself out of the chair and turned around, facing Zach, Kendall and all the other residents of Pine Valley. "You have to admit, it was one hell of an encore performance." He smiled for the cameras and sat down, not saying anything else. The last Zach and Kendall saw of Michael Cambias, he was being escorted through the door to the holding cell. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled at the two of them before disappearing.

An impromptu celebration erupted at the Slater's when they returned home. The federal prosecutor promised them that not only would Michael serve all this time, they were shipping him to a federal prison across the country. That put Kendall's mind at ease and she smiled as she relayed the events over the phone to Bianca in Paris.

Zach checked on the kids one last time that night before turning off all the lights and doing one last walk through of the house, making sure that all the doors were locked and all the windows shut. He opened the door to the master bedroom and stopped short as he saw Kendall sprawled across the bed in nothing but one of his dress shirts.

Words weren't needed, not this night. They had been on a rollercoaster over the last three weeks, constantly watching their backs to see if Michael was sneaking around the corner. They had barely slept, keeping a vigil over the kids to make sure that nothing happened. But this night, they finally felt relaxed. Zach could see the need in her eyes, the want on her face and he was drawn to her.

He crawled up her body, pulling her into a scorching kiss, the kind of kiss that made every nerve in your body fire at the same time. As she massaged his tongue with hers, he pulled her flush to his body, moaning as she rotated her hips against his.

"You're overdressed" she whispered as she ran her tongue over his ear. He pushed himself off of her and made quick work of his shirt as she slowly unbuckled his belt and seductively ran her hands down his lap, taking the zipper down with her hands. He slammed his eyes shut as she ran her hands around his waist and over his ass. As she dug her nails in, he opened his eyes and ripped the shirt off of her.

They were fierce with each other. Zach probed her with his fingers while placing kisses all over her breasts, making her pant his name over and over again. Kendall flipped him over and grabbed hold of him, massaging him with her hand, slowly then quickly, then slowly again, making him hunger for her even more. He looked up at her and she whispered "now" to him. He flipped them over and entered her quickly, bring a primal scream out of both of them. They moved as one fluid unit. Kendall arched her back off the bed as Zach suckled her breasts, bringing her to her finish. She moved her hips around and around, driving him insane until he pulled her hips roughly against his body, spilling into her. He collapsed on top of her, sweaty and out of breath. Kendall ran her hands up and down his back in circles, trying to regain her own breath.

"I love you" he whispered in her ear, kissing her right below her ear and smiling as she shuddered against him. He could feel himself coming back to life in an instant.

"I love you too" she moaned loudly as he started to move again, making love to her passionately, knowing that this love, this relationship, this life could never be taken away from him

THE END (for real this time!)


End file.
